A MOTORIST has avoided a road ban after admitting driving without due care and attention on the A1 near Macmerry.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told that Jacim Kilic was spotted driving a black Vauxhall Corsa erratically by a concerned motorist by approaching her vehicle at speed from behind on the busy main road.

Kilic, from Haddington, was seen to speed up and overtake the woman’s vehicle before he suddenly pulled in front of her, causing the driver to brake sharply to avoid a collision.

Kilic continued to move between the two lanes while driving at speed and he was also seen attempting to overtake a van but could only draw alongside the vehicle.

After managing to get in front of the works van, 30-year-old Kilic then lost control of his Corsa and, the court heard, he subsequently crashed into the middle barrier.

His vehicle came to a stop on the inside lane with the bonnet facing into the carriageway.

The court was told that the A1 did not have to be closed and the road was eventually cleared when Kilic’s car was towed away by a breakdown truck.

Lawyer Euan Gosney, representing Kilic, informed the court that his client had taken his vehicle to a local garage the day previously as the engine warning light had come on.

The garage had told Kilic that the car was safe to drive but was suffering from reduced power to the engine.

Mr Gosney said that Kilic had said the drive that morning had “started off fine” but the vehicle soon began “to limp”, leading to the careless course of driving.

The court was told that the ground worker needed his licence for his employment.

Sheriff Wendy Sheehan issued Kilic, of Bearford Place, with five penalty points and fined him a total of £420 for the offence.

Kilic pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention on the A1 on December 7, 2020.